


Thunderstorm  (ô rage ! ô désespoir !)

by TheLoneReader



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: (kinda), Angsty!Rafa, Comment request, Established Relationship, Fedal - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, mentions of car crash, thunderstorm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 06:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11823426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneReader/pseuds/TheLoneReader
Summary: Left alone in the middle of a thunderstorm, will a terrified Rafa find something in himself to help him face his fears?





	Thunderstorm  (ô rage ! ô désespoir !)

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on the new chapter of my other fic, but I'm stuck and I needed something to vent the frustration.  
> I read in the comments that some of you would like to read something a bit more angsty, so I tried scribbling a few ideas while I was on the beach, and I was much more inspired than I thought I would be. 
> 
> Special shoutout to Ilerre, whose comment is at the origin of this OS. I really hope you'll like it. 
> 
> In my mind, the guys are a lot younger in this story than they actually are. I think 20-year-old Rafa with his long hair and babyface would be perfect for this. 
> 
>  
> 
> Usual disclaimer : this is a work of fiction, has no basis on reality, and no disrespect is meant to anyone.

 

Rafa sighed, looking through the wide window. The thin curtain of rain that had been falling over the Swiss countryside all day long had morphed into a proper downpour in the last hour. The young man was sitting on one of the large couches, his chin in his hands, his elbows digging into his knees and his right foot tapping the floor nervously. Having been confined to the house all day long and left on his own devices by his boyfriend, he was getting extremely bored and itched for something to do. Even the extensive collection of video games he had brought with him had lost its appeal after several hours of playing. As much as he had loved discovering the landscapes of Switzerland with Roger, he felt a strong bout of homesickness as he thought of the warm sun of his island. He had never been one for the bad weather, and the grey sky over the house was getting him down. If only Rog was here, he thought. At least, they could have distracted each other. Warmed each other up. He would not mind getting trapped anywhere if his lover was with him. But the Swiss was gone for the day. He had driven to Zurich to work with some of his sponsors. Rafa vaguely remembered something about new contract talks and a photoshoot, but he was not sure. He had been only half listening when his boyfriend had mentioned his plans a few days earlier and offered him to come with. At the time though, the sun had been shining, and all he had been thinking about was all the outdoor activities he could fit in that alone time, rather than being stuck in some dull meeting. Now he almost wished he had accepted. Almost, because, well, that type of thing was tedious enough in his own language, but in Swiss German… There was just no way.

He let out another sigh as he eyed the dark sky. At least it was only rain and no thunderstorm. He would not have been fond of staying alone in this house perched in the mountains with the sound of the thunder for only company.

He sent one more dark look towards the clouds, before throwing himself face down in the cushions. If there was indeed nothing interesting he could do, he might as well take a nap while he waited for Roger to come back.

 

***

 

His sleep was troubled, but waking up brought him very poor relief. It was considerably darker now, even though the massive, design clock on the wall taught him that he had been out for less than an hour. The rain had only intensified. As he approached the window, he could not even see as far as the gate that separated the road from Roger’s property. He shivered. The sky was almost black, menacing.

He jumped a little at the loud noise of his phone buzzing behind him. He went back to where it laid discarded on the couch, and picked up as soon as he read the name displayed on the screen.

‘Rogelio?’ He said, trying to control his breathing.

‘Hey!’ his boyfriend’s voice answered, sounding very far away. ‘You hear me? The reception is shit here!’

‘Sí, sí, I hear.’

‘Ok, well we’re done here, they had an outdoor shoot planned, but it’s raining like crazy and it looks like it’s gonna last for a while, so we’ll have to do it another day. I’m gonna start to head home.’

‘You have rain too? Here is almost like storm, lots of wind, very cold.’

‘Yeah, I thought it might. Turn up the heat, it can get really chilly…’ the older man paused, talking rapidly in Swiss German to someone in the background, before going back to his call, his voice tender and filled with concern. ‘Hey, you’re gonna be okay on your own up there for a few more hours? It might take me a while to drive back up in this weather. Can’t really go full speed…’

Rafa gulped. Okay was definitely not the word he would have used to describe the state he was in. He had always been a bit scared of stormy weather, and being alone in an unfamiliar house was not helping. But the thought of his boyfriend driving alone on the steep road leading to the house in these conditions was almost sickening.

‘Yes, yes, of course I okay.’ He would be damned if he got the other man worried about him enough that he’d try to go faster on his way back. ‘Is fine, you take your time. Road is bad and you can’t see anything up here, you go slow. Is good. Plenty of time for me to cook something hot for when you come home okay?’

Roger let out a chuckle.

‘Yeah that’d be nice, babe. I’m getting in the car right now. See you later?’

‘Sí. You drive careful!’

‘Sure.’

‘Promise!’

‘I promise. Love you.’

‘Te quiero tambien.’

Rafa remained sitting for a minute, listening to the “bips” of his phone before hanging up as well. The TV was still on, the light of the screen providing some comfort. It was not enough, though, and Rafa sprung to his feet, making his way to the kitchen, turning on as many lights as he could on the way. It was kind of stupid, he admitted to himself, but it did help him feel better.

 

He was not hungry at all, but he started rummaging through the cupboards anyway. Cooking would keep him busy, taking his mind off of his concerns. He was certainly not thrilled about staying alone in the storm for a few more hours, but Roger’s phone call had set off a whole different kind of fear in his heart. Ever since he was a child, the Spaniard had been nervous in a car, and he had never enjoyed driving the way many of his friends did. The Swiss was a great driver, but it did not stop Rafa from feeling anxious whenever he was on the road on his own. He was very well aware that, if his boyfriend settled on a gentle rhythm when they travelled together, it was another story when he was not there. The bad habits Roger had developed in his youth, roaming the highways of Germany in cars provided by one of his main sponsors, were a frequent subject of argument between the two men. The first time Rafa had discovered the road that led up to the house, he had been highly uncomfortable. He had spent the whole journey more tensed than before a match point, gripping the sides of his seat, eyes fixed on the edge of the cliff to his right. Roger had tried to reassure him by telling him that he had learnt how to drive on these types of road and that he had been doing it since he was 18, including in the snow at the heart of winter. When everything else had failed, the older man had started singing every latin song he could think of, very off-key and butchering the lyrics to try and distract him. Rafa had appreciated the effort enough to refrain from telling him that it only increased his desire to get the hell out the car. That evening, a good warm meal and long hours of cuddles in front of the fireplace had been enough to make him forget about the laces and sharp turns. But tonight, with the loud noise of the rain falling against the windows and nobody to keep him out of his own mind, all the young man could think of was how slippery the tar must have gotten, and how steep the side of the mountain was. He had often accused his man of being too nonchalant and carefree about driving, but now he wished he had been as relaxed as usual on the phone. If Roger himself was concerned about the state of the road, even when he was used to it in icy and snowy weather, it was bad. As he heard the sky rumble in the distance, Rafa was torn between his longing for his boyfriend’s protecting embrace, and his desire to call him and urge him to stay somewhere in town for the night rather than brave the ravines on the way.

 

***

 

Rafa was setting water to boil when he saw the first lightning bolt fracture the now black sky. He shivered, silently counting the seconds before the sound of thunder. He abandoned the saucepan on the counter and climbed upstairs to the master bedroom, in search of something warmer to wear. The first thing his eyes fell on was a sweater Roger had slept in and left rolled up on top of the bed. He buried his nose in it before putting it on, revelling in the warmth, but mostly in the smell of his lover that had clung to the cloth. The thunder had done nothing to assuage his worries, and he felt tenser than ever. On the other hand, it had been a while since the Swiss had called him, and he was probably not very far by now. He tried to breathe calmly as several more lightning bolts flashed through the sky.

‘Calm down,’ he told himself. ‘It’s just rain. No reason to worry, just rain. Nothing can happen to you inside the house, and Roger will be here soon. It’s okay, it all will be alri…’

His voice died in his throat as the thunder rumbled particularly loudly and everything went dark.

‘Ooooh no.’ he thought. ‘No, no, no, no, no’.

This was definitively not good. He got to his feet and tried to switch the light back on. Nothing. He tried the small lamps on the bedside tables next. Nothing either. Rafa shook. If he had been reasonably scared until that point, he was now full on panicking.

‘Mierda!’ he cursed. He sat on the bed, on the verge of hyperventilating. He had not been through a power shortage for a very long time. And at the time, he had had his mama to comfort him and manage the situation. He now seriously regretted not having gone with Roger. No business meeting could be worse than this.

The thought of his boyfriend was the only thing that could keep him sane at that moment. He grabbed his phone on autopilot and went straight to his contact list. The screen lit up, bringing him some relief. He selected Roger’s name on the list, and pressed the speaker button, keeping the small square of light on his lap, where it shined on most of the room. The phone rang several times, but nobody picked up.

Rafa swallowed with difficulty as he ended the call. It was probably nothing. Roger was on the road, he could not pick up. Maybe he had left his phone on silent after the meeting, forgot to turn the ringtone back on. Maybe it was still in his coat pocket, on the backseat. Yes, that was probably it. Anyway, it was a bad idea to speak on the phone while driving. It was best to stay focused on the road. He should not have called. He was an adult, he could manage on his own. The light from his phone had calmed him down somewhat. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to get his brain to work properly. What should he do? Okay. Okay. First, find a more sustainable source of light. Not electrical. What did they have? He went through the different rooms of the house in his mind, thinking hard. All the lamps were out, including the ones inside the microwave or the fridge. So were the TVs. The fireplace maybe? But it was a fancy, high tech one. He was not sure how to get it to work, and the last thing he needed was to set the house on fire. ‘But wait…’ he thought. ‘Fire…’. There were certainly matches next to the fireplace. He just needed something to set the fire to. Something that would not burst into flames and leave him in an even bigger predicament. Candles? Yes, that was it. There had to be candles somewhere in this gigantic house. ‘Well, first, the matches!’ he told himself. Step by step. That’s how you handle a bad situation. You start somewhere and try to solve one thing, then another, then another. That’s what he had always learnt on the court; it was probably a good lesson to apply in this case. He would go downstairs to the leaving room, and fetch the box of matches. Fine. He knew what he had to do. He did not really please him to leave the comfort of the bed to go explore the house, but he had no choice. ‘You can do it. You can do it.’ He muttered through his gritted teeth as he crossed the threshold of the bedroom. The corridor was plunged in a thick darkness. He hold his phone in front of him, progressing slowly in the light it casted, the way he had seen his sister do many times when she wanted to sneak out of her room after her bedtime. He went down the stairs carefully, one hand gripped around his makeshift torch, the other sliding along the wall for balance.

 

***

 

‘One, two, three, four…’ Rafa counted the seconds between the lightning and the thunder for the umpteenth time. He was sitting on the floor, his back resting against the couch, and a row of red candles glowing on the coffee table in front of him. It had taken him almost half an hour to find any, but he had eventually gotten his hand on a few in one of the guest rooms. Since then, he had been resting there, watching them consume slowly while he shivered. He had drawn his knees to his chest and wrapped himself in a blanket, but it did not seem to be enough. He probably would have been more comfortable back in his bed, but he wanted to be close to the front door for when Roger came back. He had fought the temptation to try and call him again for a long time, as he really did not want to distract him. He had finally given in, but once more, the phone had rung endlessly, with no one on the other end. He was getting seriously worried. Even if he had been driving very slowly, the Swiss should have arrived a while ago already. The young man stared at his phone. He had considered giving a call to his parents or his sister for some moral support, but they were all probably asleep and he did not want to alarm them. He doubted Toni would be very understanding if he woke him up to complain about being alone in the dark and his missing boyfriend. He had chanced a few texts to some of his friends, but had gotten no answer. He pulled the blanket a little tighter around him.

 

***

 

A discrete buzzing startled Rafa awake. He lifted his head from the side of the couch, rubbing his eyes. He could not believe he had dozed off when he had been worried so sick – and slightly concerned about the numerous candles lit around him. He dived for the phone, hope rising in his chest. It fell back instantly when he read the caller ID.

‘Hola’

‘Hey man!’ David Ferrer answered. ‘I got your text. What’s up?’

‘Power shortage. I’m at Roger’s house in the moutains. There’s like, a hell of a storm up here.’

‘Yeah I got that. Figured I’d check in. I’d thought the two of you would have been too busy to really mind being stuck in the dark, though.’ He teased.

‘Roger’s not here. He went to Zurich this morning. It’s just me.’

‘Oh.’ There was a pause. ‘You okay?’

Rafa was grateful Ferru had been the one to call. Among all his friends, he was probably the most discrete and reassuring one. He was always very calm and mature, handling difficult situations like a real adult and not like the boys most of them still were. There was no judgment or mockery in his tone. He was genuinely concerned for his fellow Spaniard. Not to mention he was surprisingly knowledgeable on a bunch of unexpected subjects. He might have some good advice for him.

‘Could be worse. Definitely could be better.’

‘You got some light?’

‘Yeah, I found some candles.’

‘You tried the landline?’

‘Out. But I have my phone.’

‘Good. Water still running?’

‘Yeah, yeah. I’m fine for now. It’s getting pretty damn cold though.’

‘What happened when the power got cut?’

‘No idea. I’m in the middle of a thunderstorm, and everything just went dark suddenly.’

‘You called the power company?’

Rafa groaned.

‘Why didn’t I think of that? But it probably wouldn’t help, my Swiss German isn’t exactly up there.’

‘Mmh. I’m not sure it will do any good, but did you check the electricity meter?’

‘The what?’

‘You know! The thing where all the fuses are and stuff.’

‘Oh that. No. I don’t even know where that thing is!’

‘Maybe in the garage? The basement? Or just ask Roger, he’ll probably know what to do with it.’

The younger man sighed into the phone.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s just…’ Rafa’s voice fell. ‘Roger should be here by now. He left several hours ago. I just… I’m getting really worried. The road’s so bad to get up here, and you really can’t see ten metres in front of you in this weather…’

‘Have you tried to call him?’

‘He’s not picking up. At first I thought he just didn’t hear his phone, but now… I’m so scared…’

‘Maybe it was getting to dangerous to drive and he just stopped somewhere for the night?’

He shook his head. ‘He would have warned me. That’s not like him.’

‘You should try calling again. If he still doesn’t answer… I don’t know… Do you have the number of someone on his team? Anyone that could have heard from him?’

‘I’m not sure. I think I got his sister’s… If he’s still not here in a while, I guess I’ll call her and see if she can reach his coach or his agent, someone who was with him this afternoon…’

‘You do that. Keep me posted. I’m here if you need anything else, man, you know where to find me. Don’t hesitate.’

‘Thank you, David.’

‘No problem. Talk to you soon.’

‘Yeah.’

Rafa hung up and ran his hands through his hair. David’s call had gotten him a bit more focused. His friend was right; it was time to get into action. He quickly got to his contacts, and pressed Roger’s number. Every second felt like an hour to the young man as he listened to each new ring on the other end. Still no answer.

He put the phone down, breathing heavily.

 

***

 

Rafa was pacing back and forth between the couch and the fireplace. Every time he walked by the window, he marked a short pause, leaning forward to try and see a trace of activity outside the house. After failing to reach Roger, he had resigned himself to calling his sister. He had left a message in a hesitant English, trying not to sound too frantic, asking her to please call him back rapidly. He had waited next to his phone for several long minutes, before the tension got the best of him and he started walking up and down in the room. He did not know what to do now. There was no one else he could contact, no other number he had. As he made a new turn at the end of the room, his eye caught the clock. The fear made him so sick he actually felt the bile in his throat. It was so late. There was no way the journey up to the house could take so long. No way. He got his phone out again, dialling his boyfriend’s number one more time. A wave of cold submerged him when it went straight to voicemail. He stopped dead in his tracks. Why was Roger’s phone off? If the Swiss had had his phone in his hands, he would have seen all the missed calls from Rafa, and he would never had turned it off without answering. The only plausible explanation was that he was somewhere with no network. But… Rafa bit down on his bottom lip. There was good reception on the road. He had noticed it a few days ago. He had spent the whole trip down to town on the phone with his family, and had been surprised by the quality of the communication. Where was Roger? The Spaniard let himself drop on the couch. His whole body was shaking. His heart was thumping in his chest. Images of his boyfriend’s car folded in two at the bottom of a ravine kept popping in mind. He could see the torn up metal, the ripped tires, could almost smell the smoke rising up from carcass. He imagined the smashed fence at a sharp turn of the road, the sounds of the breaks being hit too hard, his boyfriend’s body laying lifeless on the gr…

‘No!’ Rafa exclaimed, standing up. Fat tears were running down his cheeks.

‘No, no, no!’ he begged. ‘It’s not possible, he can’t be… he can’t have…’

He threw away the cushion he had been clutching to his chest. He began pacing frenetically again. He could not stand staying in the house, doing nothing, while the love of his life was out there, probably hurt and in need of assistance. He thought of calling the authorities, asking for help, but he barely knew a couple of words in Swiss German, and he was not sure even his English would be good enough to convey how serious the situation was. No. He could count only on himself. _He_ had to do something for Roger. _He_ needed to find him.

 

He slid his phone in his pocket, and grabbed a candle, determined. He reached the hallway, still sobbing aloud, and slid his feet in a pair of sneakers. He tied up the laces on autopilot, and made his way to the garage. As he crossed the threshold, he shivered. Partly because of the wave of cold that assaulted him as soon as he got in the room, partly because of the anxiety the sight of the cars brought him. He was terrified at the idea of getting into one of the machines, and driving into the night on his own, on the road that frightened him so much. But he had to do it. There was no other way. His distress only increased when he noticed which car was missing. Roger had left with the SUV that morning, the one Rafa was the most comfortable driving.

‘It doesn’t matter’ he told himself. ‘You’re doing this. For Roger.’

He made his way towards the car that was parked the closest to the gate. It was the sleek grey Mercedes his boyfriend generally favoured. It would have to do. He just needed to find the keys. Sniffing loudly, he turned towards the wall, raising his candle in front of him. He was not sure where to begin, but he was resolved to get this car to start. He set the candle on top of a cabinet, and started rummaging frantically through the many drawers. The piece of wax barely lit a metre around itself, and his vision was blurred by his tears, but chance seemed to be on his side; a few minutes later, he opened the right door. A row of hooks was fixed inside of it, a set of keys dangling from each of them. He snatched the right one, unlocked the car and threw himself on the driver’s seat. He immediately turned on the headlights. He flinched at the sudden brightness and took a minute to settle himself. He clenched his jaw and braced his hands on the steering wheel. If he had somewhat forgotten about his fears while he activated himself through the garage, it was all coming back to him now. He tried to calm his breathing, but he started crying again. The thought of the road to come had him petrified on his seat. He had never driven there, nor on any other mountain road. He was not a strong driver. He felt very small and young, facing something much, much too big for him. He shook his head and wiped his tears ragingly. It was not the time to be a scaredy-cat. How could he be here, hesitating, wasting time, while his boyfriend was lost in the storm, maybe lying in a ditch, loosing his blood and agonising alone?

‘Come on Rafael, get a grip!’ he admonished himself. ‘Move it!’

His knuckles were white from squeezing the wheel so hard. He took a few deep breaths as he tried to summon the courage to start the car. His hand was shaking towards the gearshift, when the side door next to the gate suddenly burst open.

 

Rafa’s head snapped up as a tired, soaked Roger made his way into the garage. The Swiss ran his hand through his wet hair to get the longer locks out of his face, before noticing his boyfriend in the car and stopping dead in his tracks.

‘Raf?’ he asked, incredulous.

The younger man did not answer, too shocked to utter a word. He stayed frozen where he was, one hand on the wheel, his eyes fixed on the silhouette of his lover caught up in the headlights. He came back to reality as Roger opened the car’s door and asked him what he was doing. He launched himself on the other man, wrapping his arms around his neck and bringing their bodies as close together as he possibly could. Roger was surprised but immediately caught him and returned the embrace. One of his hands went to the back of Rafa’s head.

‘Hey, hey.’ He said in a soothing voice. ‘It’s alright. I’m here, you’re fine.’

‘You’re okay.’ Rafa answered, the words stumbling through his tears. ‘You’re okay, you’re okay.’

‘Yeah, I’m here.’ He stroked the Spaniard’s damp cheeks.

‘You took so long. Where were you?’

‘I know, I’m sorry. The main road was closed, I had to take the small pathways in the forest, it’s a lot of miles longer, it took me forever, I’m sorry.’

Rafa shook his head.

‘You’re crazy, you should have gone back down and stayed in town.’

‘I saw that a tree had fallen on the electrical wires on the way. I thought it probably got a power cut in the house, I didn’t want you to spend the night in the dark all on your own! How are you?’

He shook his head again, burying his face in his lover’s neck, breathing him in.

‘Babe…’ Roger held him tight, looking around. He seemed to only now realise where they were. He immediately released his grasp and slid an arm in the car to switch off the engine.

‘What the fuck were you doing?’ he exclaimed, his face tensing. ‘It’s dangerous to have a car running in a closed space! What were you thinking?’

‘I was not staying in close space! I wanted to go out!’ Rafa protested after a minute, shocked by the sudden reproach.

‘In this weather? Why on earth would you want to go out?’

‘I was going to look for you…’ the young man said in a small voice. Now that Roger was in front of him, safe and sound, his reasoning seemed very weak, even to himself.

The Swiss’ face relaxed a little at these words, but then he frowned again.

‘On this road? That you’ve never driven on before and with no visibility? You would have killed yourself!’ He slammed the car door shut. ‘And in this thing? Have you seen the tires? Even _I_ wouldn’t get it out in these conditions. You can’t be serious.’ He ran a hand over his face furiously. ‘I told you it would take time for me to get back. You think you could have got me back quicker? I know what I’m doing out there, couldn’t you just let me handle it?!’

‘I thought you were hurt!’ Rafa exploded. He burst into tears, the pressure of the entire evening finally getting the better of him. ‘You called hours ago, I waited for ages, I was getting so worried for you! I try to call you, many times, you never pick up! I even tried to call your sister! It was too difficult for you to call one minute and say “hey Rafa, I’m taking other road, it’s very long, don’t worry!”? I spent all the night here, watching the storm outside and thinking you are alone in that, on that stupid road. And then I try to call again, and it’s the voicemail and I panic okay? I think maybe you got in a car crash and your phone is destroyed, or you car fell down the mountain and you were…’ He shook at the thought, and wrapped his arms around himself. ‘I know you try to come home quick because of me, and I think it’s my fault if you are in danger. And I imagine you alone and hurt and with nobody to help so I had to go find you. I know the road his dangerous. I know I can’t drive that well. You think I was happy to go? I had never been that scared in my life, but I could not leave you alone, I had to help you, I…’

He was interrupted by his boyfriend’s lips pressing against his own. The older man squeezed him really hard against his chest. He gave in to the embrace, his forehead falling against a wet shoulder, violent sobs racking his body.

‘My love. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you like that. I didn’t realise. I was so focused on getting back to you, I didn’t think of what you could imagine was going on. I didn’t call because my phone was on the backseat, I couldn’t reach it and I didn’t want to stop in the middle of the road to get it. It was stupid, I should have warned you. I’m very sorry.’ He punctuated his apologies with little kisses in Rafa’s hair.

‘Babe, please stop crying. I’m here now, I’m okay, we’re okay.’

It took several long minutes for the Spaniard’s tears to run out, but Roger never loosened his hold on him. He had been shaken by the night’s event as well, and they both seemed to need the physical comfort very much. He felt a little better when his boyfriend finally raised his head and gave him a little smile. He was so beautiful with his soft lips and the last drops of water clinging to his eyelashes.

‘I’m sorry. I’m being stupid…’

‘No, of course not.’

‘You must be tired after all the road. You need to sleep now.’ He pulled him by the hand towards the door leading to the rest of the house.

‘We both need to rest.’ Roger corrected. He dropped an arm around Rafa's shoulders as they walked. ‘And to get warmed up, you’re freezing. You didn’t think to bring a jacket for your rescue mission?’ he added, a teasing note in his voice.

‘I didn’t think at all I guess. I was in love and worried.’

 

***

 

The fire lazily danced against the glass pane of the fireplace bringing much needed light and warmth to the living room, and the two men that were spread out on the couch. They were wrapped tightly in a large blanket, and in each other’s arms. They were both exhausted, but they seemed to need this moment even more than they did sleep. They were lying face to face, looking each other in the eyes, and Roger was slowly stroking Rafa’s cheek with his left hand.

‘I really am sorry. I can’t imagine what you went through tonight…’

Rafa grabbed his hand and planted a firm kiss on the palm of it.

‘You’re here now. It’s all that matter.’

‘I’m still sorry. And I’m sorry for yelling. It’s just… the thought of you in that storm, it terrified me. If anything had happened to you while you went looking for me…’

‘Ssh.’

‘No, but you have to understand. I could never have forgiven myself. I love you so much…’

It was the Swiss’ turn to get interrupted by a kiss.

‘I love you too. More than anything.’

At these words, Roger slid his hand behind his lover’s neck to deepen the kiss. He pushed the young man further against the back of the couch, bringing their bodies always closer. They eventually broke for air and smiled at each other.

‘You know, I’m really proud of you. I know how scared you must have been, but you managed things very well here! I mean, I really need to show you how to use that stupid fireplace, just in case, but still!’

‘And where the fuse box is.’

Roger raised an eyebrow at that.

Rafa shrugged sheepishly.

‘I got Ferru on the phone. He said that’s what you need to check when there is power cut.’

His boyfriend let out his first real laugh of the evening at that. He dropped a kiss on the other’s forehead.

‘Okay, the fuse box too,’ he agreed.

There was a pause.

‘I’m also proud of you for being willing to get out there just because you thought I might need help.’

‘It was stupid, you say yourself.’

‘Yes it was. But it was mostly very brave. Especially for you. I know how hard it must have been for you to consider getting on that road. And to face a thunderstorm. I’m not happy with it. But it means so much that you would do that for me.’

Rafa’s eyes dropped to their chests.

‘I was so afraid. I thought my heart will stop. But I had to. I thought “I can’t do it, I not gonna be able to do it, that road is too hard”. But I had to try. For you.’

The Swiss felt a tear roll down his cheek.

‘My love,’ he whispered. ‘Thank you.’

‘Thank you for coming back.’

They both took a minute to regain their composure.

‘If you want to learn how to drive on mountain roads, I’ll take you out when the weather gets better okay? I don’t want you to ever be stuck in a situation where you need to move to be in safety and you don’t feel confident that you can. But until then, I want you to promise that you’ll never try to go out on this type of road in the middle of the thunderstorm of the decade with a sports car that is absolutely not meant for it.’

Rafa grimaced.

‘I mean it. It would have been suicide. You promise, and I’ll swear I’m never leaving my phone out of reach again.’

‘Fine, I promise.’

‘Good.’

They sealed their deal with a light kiss on the lips.

‘Now, we’re both all warmed up and calmed down, we should try to get some sleep.’

Rafa nodded, yawning shamelessly.

‘Can we stay here? I’m too comfortable for moving.’

‘Sure. G‘Night, babe.’

‘Goodnight, Rogelio.’

They moved around, trying to find a good position. Roger ended up on his back, his right arm around Rafa, and the Spaniard’s head resting on his chest. Their breathings were slowing down and the younger man was starting to doze off when his boyfriend suddenly turned his face towards him.

‘Wait a minute…’ he started with a grin that could mean nothing good. ‘I hadn’t even realised, but, can you even drive a manual?’

There was a long pause.

‘Shut up.’

 

  

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Comments make me mucho mucho happy ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> By the way, if anybody's interested, you can find me on tumblr : theycallme-thelonereader dot tumblr dot com.  
> I post stuff about the various fandoms/ships I like, as well as random stuff about my fics, and if some of you have prompts or ideas for stories they'd like to share over there, I'd love to have a look at them :)


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